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Time
Line - Signs of the Times - Storm Warning

Missing Life's Purpose

The postwar material
thrust of the 1950s may have had its counterpart in the late 1990s with roaring
stock markets and the Internet's surge in dot com venture capital. But the
bubble burst leading us to words descriptive of the past coming to light once
again:

The
world economy is in serious trouble, and the federal deficit is terrifying.
In 1992, the United States government faced a $400 billion debt it
has virtually no prospect of paying or even paying down. Rising debt
is a serious problem both for families and corporations. Growing crime
and violence make even clean, well-lighted places unsafe in the middle
of the day. In addition, we have an ongoing disintegration of morals,
collapse of the family and traditional family values, and increasing
prejudice against religious expression by a growing number of secular
organizations. Most observers today believe that America is living
in a post-Christian era. Graham, Storm Warning, page 184

Photo
of storm by Mike Hollingshead, copyrighted image used here
with permission granted by Mr. Hollingshead and by www.extremeinstability.com.

At times we see
a glimmer of hope that the economy will turn around for the better. So seemed
the latter 1990s going into the new millennium. But once again, due to recent
global terrorism and military actions, the United States has dramatically
reversed itself by draining surpluses and taking on incredible debt. And the
US is not the only nation affected.

Today financial
woes linger from depressed markets, economic crises in South America, political
corruption and civil wars in Africa, Europe struggling through unification,
and a U.S. economy taking on greater debt. These are all facets of global
material consequence and substantial instability.

The contrast,
however, in the quotation above, is the spiritual versus the material. In
time of prosperity, life pivots around material comfort. Once on the decline,
we look back over our shoulder to see sources for our troubles—our values
and behaviors come into view and it's not just a material dilemma. If life
is not all about material success, then what is life's
purpose?

GLOBAL APOSTASY

Apostasy is a state
of 'falling away.' The "post-Christian era" cited above by Dr. Graham
is certainly characterized by a Jedeo-Christian population that is in part
"falling away" or straying from the standards set in the biblical
text. Synagogues and churches can easily slip into doing good works, good
deeds, even social outreach programs in place of building faith. The Bible
is not "all about" political correct deeds or social causes. Humanism
is traipsing at our heals. Yet, humanity fails to solve its problems.

Take a look, humanism,
materialism, and rebellion are in clear view at this time. From within the
fabric of humanity—not just tensions between nations—there are
factions at war based on ideologies. Here the interests driving conflict are
based on belief systems that have no borders. The new conflicts are a product
of terror that now encircles the globe.

But humanity strays
in dangerous directions.

How
does the situation of the world today accord with God's plan for peace
on earth? I have to ask again, as I did at the very beginning, will
there ever be peace on earth, or is peace an illusion? Will the impending
storm destroy the world?

Before
answering that question we need to stop and consider for a moment
something that is easy to forget in our contemplation of the terror
of a nuclear war. We forget the infinitely greater horror of an eternity
apart from God. The horrors of a nuclear war will be transitory as
far as eternity is concerned. The horrors that are ahead for all who
reject God's offer of mercy, grace, and salvation in Christ are too
terrible to imagine. Graham, Storm Warning, page 184

Apostasy is falling
away, and becoming separated from a key relationship with God. And what is
eternity apart from God but hell itself.

So, might life's purpose
have something to do with defining a relationship with God? How do all the
world's economies matter in comparison? This relationship is a key consideration
and a distinct possibility within the window's view! Life provides an opportunity
to look and decide and build the relationship!

An eternity with or in separation from God is linked to life having a purpose and a life choice.
But which choice is it that puts us in the inner circle of eternity with God?
How does one achieve that step into that circle? There seem to be some differences
in choice here.

Some beliefs drive
conflict in the 'name of God' or a god-centered drive for power and assertion
of a 'holy law' over others who do not accept the basic premise underlying
such a law. If two sides appear with two claims to God, but claims with a
different nature, then we need to discern the difference and be wary of how
that difference drives humanity further toward the end of the timeline. In
the Middle East there is in fact a situation that is forming in just this
way—driving, pushing us to the end of Daniel's
time line (link to PDF file).

Look at the difference
in the eternity or paradise that is promised either way. Is one spiritual
and the other more hedonistic and even defined in material terms? A material
reward for faith cannot be given in a spiritual realm. Islam's (extremist)
martyrs ... those promised physical sexual pleasure in a spiritual paradise
... need to contemplate the 'reward' for their actions before the fact. Is
such a reward possible! Study the difference and the difference is revealed.
The goal here is not spiritual but self-centered and hedonistic. No system
that claims God can then kill in the name of the God that forbids murder.
No assertion of power or dominance of others can be based on grace.

The concerns one
need attend to are not simply a difference between Islam and the Judeo-Christian
sphere. There is also a falling away from faith that has come in recent time.
Examples include humanistic forms of Judaism and Christian outreach based
on social works without faith at the core. Weakening the focus serves only
to have members fall away from faith. This is the apostasy that is characterized
along the latter portion of the timeline. While described within the Seventh
Church Age, apostasy affects the hearts of those who claim the God of Israel
as God over all.

"Let
no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the
falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of
perdition," 2Th 2:3; NKJV

As given above,
the Scriptures themselves even speak of a falling away from faith in a period
of time that characterizes the end of the current era.

SIGNS
TO AN END OF THIS ERA

The Scripture
also shows that a number of easily discernible signs will occur as
we approach the end of the age. These signs seem to be coming into
focus even now. Jesus said in Matthew 24 that there would the famines,
pestilences, and earthquakes, but He also said that these would only
be the beginning. He said that people "will betray and hate each other,
and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because
of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold" (Matthew
24:10-12). But He added, "This gospel of the kingdom will be preached
in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end
will come" (Matthew 24:14). In this sign alone we see the possibility
of reaching the entire world with the gospel through revolutionary
new technologies before the end of this century. This will be an unprecedented
opportunity that could never before have come about, but it is a very
real possibility today. Graham, Storm Warning, page 185

From within recent
events in the Middle East we see a tension building. (See Israel
News and Views for articles on recent events).

The common misconception
is there is an end to life and thus total destruction. On a material plain,
yes destruction, but the ultimate conflict is spiritual and the answer is
either you choose eternal destruction of your soul or choose eternal life
beyond this life. Choice is life's purpose. Missing the purpose has a consequence.

The importance to global change is in looking at how social, biological, and physical sciences all reveal data and signs for more ominous changes in the near future. This is change in every aspect of human and earthly affairs ... globally. The Window looks further to see change as a backdrop to a biblical timeline. Driving forces for change force us to ask the most important questions about our true origin, who we are, why we are here, and what the Scriptures tell us about the future. Change forces us to look deeper to face choice or crisis. Life is an opportunity to look for the answers.

Billy
Graham is well known the world over for his work in spreading the
biblical message of salvation.(www.billygraham.org)

Please
Note! We are presenting a number of quotations in the "Signs of the
Times" series that are taken from their original context. So
Be Aware ... the impact of these statements is only heightened and intensified
by a reading of the original text cited below. WindowView serves to reflect
many original sources and in this case we highly recommend a reading of
the entire book used as a source here! The 'Signs' are woefully important
to revealing humanity's future, reading these quotations in their original
context makes this point all the more clear!

For a general listing of books, visit the WindowView Book Page for: Science and Scripture .

Step Up To Life

Time spent looking ... through a window on life and choice ... brings the opportunity to see in a new light. The offer for you to Step Up To Life is presented on many of the web pages at WindowView. Without further explanation we offer you the steps here ... knowing that depending on what you have seen or may yet explore in the window ... these steps will be the most important of your life ...